College of Education

Elementary (K-8) and Early Childhood (P-3) Candidates:

• Level 1 - EDU 395 (both majors)
  
• Level 2 - EDU 395 (both majors)
• Level 3 - EDU 395 (Elementary) and EDEC 495 (Early Childhood)
• Student Teaching

Secondary (5-12) and K-12 Candidates:

• EDU 395 - Clinical Experience I Management K-12
• EDU 395 - Clinical Experience II Methods K-12
• Student Teaching

Special Education Minors:

• EDSP 403 Intro to Early Childhood Special Education
• EDSP 405 Assessment of Students with Exceptionalities
• EDSP 426/526 Transitions and Community Supports
• EDSP 454 Advanced Academic Interventions
• EDSP 456/556 Low Incidence Disabilities
• EDSP 461 Positive Behavior Supports
• EDSP 495 Student Teaching: Special Education

The Office of Clinical Experiences locates placements for clinical experiences within a 30-mile radius of Missoula.

All clinical experience placements are coordinated and assigned by the Office of Clinical Experiences. Students may not seek their own placements.

To comply with the memoranda of agreement that the Office of Clinical Experiences (OCE) holds with school districts, a prescribed placement process is followed:

1. OCE sends clinical experience placement requests to schools.
2. School administrators share the requests with their teachers.
3. Interested/qualified teachers meet with the school administrator.
4. The administrator may approve/disapprove of the assignment.
5. School administrators get back to OCE with their replies.

Although it is impossible to provide an exact date to expect assignment confirmation, the OCE strives to have all clinical placements confirmed within the first five to six weeks of the semester. The Office of Clinical Experiences will email a formal announcement to the teacher candidate’s UM email account once the clinical experience site and cooperating teacher are secured. The candidate is to contact the cooperating teacher within three days of the receipt of the placement announcement.

Before you can apply for student teaching, you must attend a mandatory student teaching information seminar two semesters before your student teaching semester. The times and dates of these meetings are posted around the education building, and announced to all education candidates, advisors, and faculty via email. You may also contact the Office of Clinical Experiences directly.

Eligible teacher candidates may apply to student teach in a number of locations:

• Locally: includes all communities within a 50-mile radius of Missoula. Candidates must have a minimum GPA of 2.75.
• Out-of-Area: beyond a 50-mile radius of Missoula, but within Montana. Candidates must have a minimum GPA of 2.75.
• Out-of-State: Candidates must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 plus two recommendations. See application materials under “Student Teaching” for additional information and recommendation forms.

Requirements for student teaching include coursework, clinical experiences, and satisfactory academic performance. Out-of-state and international student teaching also require two recommendations. For complete information, refer to the “Teacher Education Policy Handbook.”

Candidates may not seek their own placements. Per agreements with partnering school districts, all clinical experience placement requests must come from the Office of Clinical Experiences (OCE). The OCE collaborates with these districts to secure placements with eligible cooperating teachers. Student teaching placements are based on many factors including the availability of qualified schools and teachers with strong mentorship experience. Candidates are not allowed to student teach in a school where a relative is professionally employed or where a family member attends.

Student Teaching Application due dates are as indicated below:

Student teaching needs to be the primary focus – for your sake and that of your students. The student teaching placement runs the full school day from bell to bell so outside jobs cannot occur during that time period. Reduction of outside workload is recommended.

Student teaching needs to be the primary focus – for your sake and that of your students. Taking an additional course while student teaching is not recommended. If absolutely necessary, undergraduates must complete a petition to submit for consideration by the Teacher Education Program Policy Committee and graduate students must discuss this with their Teaching and Learning advisor. The student teaching placement runs the full school day from bell to bell so coursework cannot occur during that time period.

Candidates complete a full-time student teaching assignment in a structured, supervised setting for one semester – 16 weeks of a full-day teaching practicum. Most elementary, early childhood, and secondary education candidates will spend 15 weeks in their assigned classroom. Finals Week (the 16th week) is set aside purposely for two reasons: 1) for make-up days (if a candidate is absent more than 3 days during the semester), and 2) for observations in other classrooms. If a candidate does not need to make up any days, week 16 will consist of additional classroom observations. Cooperating teachers and university supervisors are very helpful in suggesting teachers with whom candidates can set schedules. Observations during that last week play a crucial role in the candidate’s teaching preparation.

Candidates must make serious decisions about any absences for personal reasons that would interfere with the requirements of the student teaching days. Teacher candidates must follow the public school calendar during their assignments and are expected to be in school every working day from bell to bell. Candidates will also be required to attend planned in-service events. In the case of any situation in which a candidate must be absent from school, the cooperating teacher(s) and the university supervisor should be notified as soon as possible. Extended absences should also be communicated with the Director of Clinical Experiences.

All absences will be documented and must be made up according to a plan that is jointly developed by the candidate, the university supervisor, and the cooperating teacher(s). A full day of missed classes will be made up with a full day of instruction.

Your Teaching & Learning advisor will contact you to help you register for student teaching.

To comply with the memoranda of agreement that the Office of Clinical Experiences (OCE) holds with school districts, a prescribed placement process is followed:

1. OCE sends student teaching placement requests to schools.
2. School administrators share the requests with their faculty.
3. Interested/qualified faculty meet with the school administrator.
4. The administrator may approve/disapprove of the assignment.
5. School administrators get back to OCE with their replies.

There are several factors that affect the length of the placement process:

1. The school decides not to accept teacher candidates (due to budget, availability of cooperating teachers, etc.). OCE then begins at Step 1 of the process above.
2. The school asks for more time to consider the placement request (due to school breaks, teaching reassignments, budget, etc.).

With such a fluid placement process, it is impossible to provide an exact date to expect assignment confirmation.

Typically, Autumn Semester teacher candidates receive confirmations from April to August and Spring Semester candidates from November to January.

The Office of Clinical Experiences will email a formal announcement to the teacher candidate’s UM email account once the student teaching site and cooperating teacher are secured. The candidate is to contact the cooperating teacher within three days of receipt of the placement announcement.

No. In the final student teaching seminar, we will present specific information to you regarding licensure. There are several steps to this process and you will receive information about some of these steps in the information sessions for your clinical experiences prior to student teaching as well.

You must notify the Office of Clinical Experiences immediately so the school and cooperating teacher can be notified. Our ability to provide quality placements and mentor teachers depends on maintaining good relationships with our school partners, and we cannot maintain those relationships unless we communicate important information like this in a timely manner.

If a candidate would like a copy of their background check or would like it disseminated to a school, please contact the OCE for the Background Redissemination Form. The form is required in compliance with the Department of Justice policies on sharing this confidential material.